A subcommittee of the Pier Restoration Corp., the group that oversees the Santa Monica pier, has passed a resolution to ban smoking on the tourist attraction, reports the Santa Monica Daily Press. And it's not just for clean air--two fires were ignited this spring by discarded cigarette butts. "We would qualify them as significant fires at the west-end that required extended effort to put out," Ben Franz-Knight of the PRC said. "We're fortunate that they happened in the middle of the day." The pier already restricts smoking to seven designated areas of the pier, but the PRC wants it banished entirely. The PRC votes on the matter July 7 and then sends it on to the city council. Meanwhile, WeHo's push to ban outdoor smoking at certain restaurants continues to evolve, reports the WeHo News. The city's taskforce on the matter has decided to push forward the ban only on establishments that cater to minors under the age of 18; meaning the clubs and bars of the Strip and Boystown would mostly be exempt. Also exempt would be private clubs, like the SoHo House, and hotel swimming pools; that was supported partly because European visitors like their Silk Cuts. Attention at the Friday meeting was also paid to a recent report that WeHoans smoke more than many other city dwellers and preliminary plans were made for a smoking cessation PR campaign. Being West Hollywood, this is far from the last word on the issue: "meetings to come will finalize language regarding the distance one must move away from the establishment to smoke, signage and enforcement." Image by ShamrockTattoo via Flickr
· Pier Smoking Ban Advances [SMDP]
· Smoking Ban Taking Shape [WeHo News]
Filed under:
Loading comments...